Death in Old Mexico: The 1789 Dongo Murders and How They Shaped the History of a Nation

Death in Old Mexico: The 1789 Dongo Murders and How They Shaped the History of a Nation
ISBN-10
1009261541
ISBN-13
9781009261548
Category
History
Pages
285
Language
English
Published
2023-03-09
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Author
Nicole von Germeten

Description

In a Mexico City mansion on October 23, 1789, Don Joaquín Dongo and ten of his employees were brutally murdered by three killers armed with machetes. Investigators worked tirelessly to find the perpetrators, who were publicly executed two weeks later. Labelled the 'crime of the century,' these events and their aftermath have intrigued writers of fiction and nonfiction for over two centuries. Using a vast range of sources, Nicole von Germeten recreates a paper trail of Enlightenment-era greed and savagery, and highlights how the violence of the Mexican judiciary echoed the acts of the murderers. The Spanish government conducted dozens of executions in Mexico City's central square in this era, revealing how European imperialism in the Americas influenced perceptions of violence and how it was tolerated, encouraged, or suppressed. An evocative history, Death in Old Mexico provides a compelling new perspective on late colonial Mexico City.

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